If Jesus Isn’t Your Lord, He Isn’t Your Savior

Church family:
An anonymous engraved stone in the Lutheran cathedral in Lübeck, Germany, dating to 1173 AD, contains these examining words:
Ye call Me Master and obey Me not,
Ye call Me Light and see Me not,
Ye call Me Way and walk not,
Ye call Me Life and desire Me not,
Ye call Me wise and follow Me not,
Ye call Me fair and love Me not,
Ye call Me rich and ask Me not,
Ye call Me eternal and seek Me not,
Ye call Me gracious and trust Me not,
Ye call Me noble and serve Me not,
Ye call Me mighty and honour Me not,
Ye call Me just and fear Me not,
If I condemn you, blame me not.
This quote echoes Jesus’ sobering warning at the end of the Sermon on the Mount: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Jesus reminds us that it is possible to say the right things, appear religious, and even be active in ministry, yet still not truly know Him. That should cause each of us to pause and examine our hearts.
It is easy to profess Christ with our lips while resisting Him with our lives. We can say, “Jesus is Lord,” but ignore His Word when it is inconvenient. We can sing about forgiveness while refusing to forgive, bask in God’s mercy while withholding mercy from others, speak of humility while demanding our own way, and look like Christians on Sunday while living as though Christ has no claim on us Monday through Saturday.
Jesus makes it clear that everyone who enters His kingdom will recognize Him as Lord, but not everyone who calls Him Lord will enter His kingdom (Matthew 7:21; Luke 6:46). John MacArthur put it this way: “Mere professed devotion to Christ is but another Judas kiss.” Simply saying we believe in Jesus does not prove that we belong to Jesus. Anyone can claim the name Christian, but our lives reveal what we truly believe.
It is possible to shout, “Lord, Lord,” while our lives tell another story. If Jesus isn’t your Lord, He isn’t your Savior. If Jesus is truly your Savior, then He is also your Lord. Grace is not permission to live as though He is not King; it is the power that changes us and awakens in us a desire to follow Him. This warning is not for those outside the church; it is a spiritual reality check for those within it. Jesus intends this part of His sermon to lead us to ask: Does my life reflect His lordship? Do I love what He loves? Do I repent when I sin? Do I obey Him? Does my life honor His name?
Jesus is not merely looking for people who will call Him Lord. He is calling us to truly know Him, trust Him, follow Him, and live under His lordship. To enter Christ’s kingdom is to submit to Him as King; genuine saving faith will produce obedience.
Matthew 7:24 Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

See you Sunday, building on the Rock: Steve